Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-12-30

nothing Ill nature has n clear outline
We'll, my child, am not prepared to call
bad names a swindler or an Impostor
Is generally person who obtains mouey
under false pretences. | have no evidence
AT all as yet, that our friend Paul has OBJ
tanned money under false pretences. He
may, for aught Know propose TO stick to
all those very considerable sums now w. |
ing in the bank to the account of the illus
trious Izak Ibn Menelek, escendant Of
King solomon, and Queen Sheba Reuben
=. Zeigier, of Philadelphia and SuraDjee
kamse zee of Bombay. | say that he may, |
but do not believe that hp does. II he
does he will find himself in Queer-street. |
with a clear prospect of healthy life un,
der lonely conditions for IA longsh term
of years. say, Dodo, that if he does he |
will be astonished Because | am ready |
to demonstrate In open court the method
by whit that money was eXtractsd from |
your father"
Siby sighed ooh! knew all along
that he must have taken it.
He hasn't stolen it, Dudo. That is to |
say--not as yet. But he was the means by
which the shares were sold-of that | am
certain. Remember, please, that had it
not been for the sale of those shares every
thing would have been lost"
Everything Is lost Tom" said Sibyl,
with assurance.
"First of ALL told you that Lavinia put
me on the scent. An old gentleman who
Y,
and had all his money invested there,
came to her alarmed by a whisper from
the office She could get no counsel and
asked Pauls advice Paul understood the
situation and saved the mans money
More than that, he saved ours'--
$50 you say"
at was NOT, you observe, his Friends
who warned him, nor was it at the insti-
cation of his Friends that he acted. 1t
was by accident: he was consulted. |
have seen the man whom he advised. He
tells everybody how he asked the spirits
and how, Lavinia's spirits being unequal
to the task, he ent his case to Herr Paul
us, who ordered him to sell instantly.
Without his advice he would have gone to
the workhouse. Without hisdction like
fate would have befallen us, sweet Dodo.
II not quite the workhouse, our union
would have been put off indefinitely"
at is put off indefinitely rs 1t is" said
Sibyl. comfy yesterday my father called
me into his study, and after reminding me
OF the Vocation to which he had destined
me from the cradle, told me that the time
was now come when | must put my life
seriously under the instruction OF our Pro
phet."
"And you replied ?"
81 told him that my Vocation was quite
in the opposite direction-and THEY'VE
had a scene How can change his resolu-
ton ?'
said Tom. Meantime, we can at any time
make it impossible for that resolution to
be carried into effect"
Sibyl shook her head.
mo, Tom, not without his consent.
But 90 on about Paul
II was greatly pleased at this little dis
covery, and | began to think. | kept on
thinking and watching. One morning
when he went out. | followed him. 1t was
not difficult, for he never looked round,
and | kept on one side of the street while
he walked on the other. When he came
to St. Pancras Church, the great new
church, he left the Mary lebone Road and
walked across the churchyard into the Ma
rylebone High Street. He crossed the
street and walked along a row of small
houses which they call Beaumont street,
and at one of these he stopped, and opened
the door with latch key, and walked in
as if the place belonged to him. So, you
see, our man. who came straight lion st.
Petersburg, and who, we thought, knew
no one at all in England, had a friend liv
ing in Beaumont Street, Marylebone."
at shows that he told us lies. but it does
not show anything else, Tom, does it ?"
First, my dearest Dodo to use the
words OF the quaker, thou Interest an un
truth, and then thou askest question
AS he never said that ne had no friends
here it does not show that he told lies
When | came to find out the name of b $
For his friend is no otter than the great
Professor Melchers himself. OF New York"
II never heard of him"
Nor had until | was told about him.
Professor Melchers, until his health broke
down, was the greatest oracle in New
York. Hundreds of our fellow creatures,
presumed to be sane, would take no decis-
i've step, however trivial, without consult
ing the Professor, whose advice was fol-
lowed blindly: There are heaps OF stories
odd of his insight, and the wonderful re
suits obtained by those who bought his
opinion. OF course he was connected
with the Other World presumably with
the Spirits of Dick Wilmington, Jacques
Coeur, Sir Thomas Gresham, Messrs. AStor
Vanderbilt, Stewart, and all the goodly
company of those who have made money
and no doubt still keep up their interest
in the process. Well, Sibyl, here comes
in the interesting part. The Professor
grew old the Professor took a pupil the
Professor retired from business and went
away on his travels: his pupil went with
him. The pupils name was Signor Paolo.
Now do you begin to understand None
of the old business with raps and Emman-
uel Chicks and Lavinia Medlocks nothing
of the kinda tine old established City
Oracle a place of inquiry for those who
deal in stocks and shares magic and mys-
terry brought to bear on finance; the Splr-
its made usefnl communication with the
other world restricted to matters of bust
ness. No wonder the Professor did well
and made little pile"
as this important ?"
Every important indeed"
"What next ~
Come on the roof with me-"
There was trap door IN one corner and
short ladder, which Tom raised, and,
mounting it, opened the door. Sibyl fol
lowed. Outside there was tolerably
broad area, bounded by low parapet,
Look over the parapet. Dodo. You can
see into your fathers study"
The study, as has been related, was
built out from the house. Toms room was
at the end of the house, and from the ROOF
anybody standing near the end could look
straight into the large side window OF the
study, and could see what was being done
over that part of 1t covered by the table
and the chair and the hearth rug-in
other words, over the habitable portion of
the study.
II have improved upon this side view"
said Tom, "by a little arrangement or glas-
Sac and thinuS Stem in here. l)OdO.'